Chelsea's best signing under the new ownership has been Cole Palmer without a doubt. He is the closest player they have to world-class, and having finished in the Ballon d'Or top 10, perhaps it is time to already put him in that category. Even while struggling with fitness issues, he has been the Blues' most effective performer in recent weeks, scoring against Brentford and Bayern Munich.
Chelsea's current squad is filled with players who have a connection with the Manchester City academy. It is not just Palmer. Liam Delap, Romeo Lavia, Jamie Gittens and Tosin Adarabioyo were part of the Citizens' youth setup at one point in time as well, although they made their names elsewhere before moving to Stamford Bridge.
Of course, there is the Enzo Maresca connection as well. He was a coach in Pep Guardiola's backroom team at one point and also coached in the Manchester City youth ranks.
So, it would be no surprise if Chelsea have their sights set on some more Manchester City players. And they are being linked with one of Pep Guardiola's favourites.
Chelsea interested in Manchester City player Pep Guardiola loves
As reported by Football Insider, Chelsea have joined the race to sign Nico O’Reilly. Leeds United, Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon are interested in him as well.
Of course, a lot will depend on how much football O'Reilly plays this season. He is highly rated by Guardiola because of his versatility and has actually started in important games this season against teams like Arsenal, Manchester United and Napoli, which goes to show how much the Spaniard trusts the youngster already.
If things continue in this manner, it is hard to imagine that O'Reilly would want to leave Manchester City. On the other hand, Chelsea already have a similar level of talent in Josh Acheampong but Maresca is not giving him chances at the moment, despite his brilliant performance on the opening day and the Blues' defensive struggles in recent weeks. Incidentally, Man City have been linked with the defender lately.